Top News Stories in Senior Living Management - July 2015

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a new online continuing education course to help healthcare providers prevent falls, as part of its STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, & Injuries) initiative. The free interactive course teaches providers how to screen older patients for falls, identify risk factors, and offer interventions.

According to new data from the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC), senior housing supply is currently outstripping demand. In the second quarter, roughly 3,600 new units were built, mostly in assisted living. Meanwhile, occupancy nationwide fell 0.2% from its Q1 level and 0.3% year-over-year. Providers, however, should focus on what is happening in their local market, which varies greatly across the country.

The Obama administration announced a proposal that would change the requirements for nursing homes to be covered under Medicare and Medicaid. The proposed regulations address electronic health records (EHRs), infection control, the use of medication, and care planning, among other issues. The new rules are also expected to raise the standards of nursing home inspections and allow for increased enforcement.

Four U.S. Senators, including Elizabeth Warren, wrote to Comptroller General Gene L. Dodaro requesting that the Government Accountability Office review Medicaid spending and state and federal oversight of the care provided under Medicaid at assisted living facilities. Specifically, the letter requested information about the number of Medicaid enrollees in assisted living facilities and how much is being spent on their care, how different states treat Medicaid eligibility and coverage, and how Medicaid programs are overseen at the state and federal levels.

New research by the Urban Institute and the Department of Health and Human Services estimates that more than half of Americans turning 65 today will require long-term care due to a disability, and that about half of the costs will be paid out-of-pocket. The average cost of long-term care services is estimated at $138,100, of which $72,200 will be out-of-pocket. For those who use paid, formal long-term care, the cost is estimated at $266,000, of which $147,000 will be out-of-pocket. The results emphasize the need for better financial planning for long-term care.